Have you ever gone in to find a patient dead? What happened?

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About 20 years ago I was making my initial rounds on my patients and went into a room and didn't see the patient. I knocked on the bathroom door, no answer. I went to see if he had been checked out to go to another dept for testing, no his name wasn't there. I went back to the room and opened the bathroom door and he was sitting there on the toilet dead. Leaned up against the wall. Deader than a doorknob. He was 103 y/o but gees I hope to never have that kind of experience again. Nothing happened. He was a DNR terminal CA patient and the family was very relieved.

Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.
ecf = extended care facility

leslie

Thanks.

I'm assuming that its similar to an ALF or nursing home?

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

A ECF (extended care facility) is a nursing home.

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A ECF (extended care facility) is a nursing home.

We also have another definition for ECF....ETERNAL CARE FLOOR (morgue)

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Specializes in CV Surgical, ICU.

We had a man who was Care and comfort, had been failing for a long while. He was having a usual day, I mean he was bad, but nothing told us that he was close to the end or anything. Me and another aide were just chatting away going to grab some linen out of the closet (just outside of his room) when we both did a double take. "Oh my god, he doesn't look right," the other aide said to me. His son was in, sitting beside him, holding his hand. But when we saw his face, the color, we knew he had passed. We called the nurse, and sure enough, he was gone. God bless him, I was so glad his son was there for his last moments, though that seemed like just a good stroke of luck. Nothing clued any of us that it was his day to go.

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Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

Had a patient while I was on orientation on a med surg unit. She was admitted right at shift change, so my preceptor and I were going to do her admission assessment. I got a brief report about her... they expected her to pass during the night. She had a CVA a few years before, which had left her non-verbal and basically a total care pt. Family was caring for her at home.

First, the CNA couldnt get a BP on her, but she was tachycardic. She was only on fluids and antibiotics. When she was admitted her INR was 10.0 :no: She had SO many decubs on her, I RAN OUT OF PLACES TO DOCUMENT THEM (we use computer charting)!! And they were all HUGE! She had one that was yucky, brown, draining brown purulent, foul smell, lots of tunnelling. We turned her over to assess the back of her body and she started turning gray on us, so we hurried up and got her back on her back and her color improved. During this time, her legs and feet were already mottled.

Checked on her throughout the night and her mottling was progressing. Someone had turned off her tele b/c they were tired of hearing it ding and ding b/c she was tachy. Went to check on her at about 4-something in the morning, noticed her color was HORRIBLE, from adistance didnt see her chest rising. at about the same time, someone ws turning her tele back on. They said there were little blips on the screen and when I walked in, went asystole.

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Specializes in ER.
just wanted to reply to zachary2011 i am a nurses aide (srna in kentucky is state registered nurse aide) and i couldn't find a stethoscope because i don't have keys to the med carts where they were all locked up and mine happened to be at home that particular day. i now carry a backpack to work with me where i keep my bp cuff, stethoscope, thermometer, bandage scisssors, extra pens and markers, time card, and so much more. i bring it every shift. as long as they don't have a dnr, oxygen will go in and out and blood will go round and round. they do not die on my unit, they are pronounced dead in the er or they rarely (never seen it) get better.

did you mean to write something else, regarding the statement "as long as they don't have a dnr, oxygen will go in and out and blood will go round and round. - i don't understand what you wrote... did you mean, if they're not a dnr, cpr will be started?

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Specializes in ER.
Had a patient while I was on orientation on a med surg unit. She was admitted right at shift change, so my preceptor and I were going to do her admission assessment. I got a brief report about her... they expected her to pass during the night. She had a CVA a few years before, which had left her non-verbal and basically a total care pt. Family was caring for her at home.

First, the CNA couldnt get a BP on her, but she was tachycardic. She was only on fluids and antibiotics. When she was admitted her INR was 10.0 :no: She had SO many decubs on her, I RAN OUT OF PLACES TO DOCUMENT THEM (we use computer charting)!! And they were all HUGE! She had one that was yucky, brown, draining brown purulent, foul smell, lots of tunnelling. We turned her over to assess the back of her body and she started turning gray on us, so we hurried up and got her back on her back and her color improved. During this time, her legs and feet were already mottled.

Checked on her throughout the night and her mottling was progressing. Someone had turned off her tele b/c they were tired of hearing it ding and ding b/c she was tachy. Went to check on her at about 4-something in the morning, noticed her color was HORRIBLE, from adistance didnt see her chest rising. at about the same time, someone ws turning her tele back on. They said there were little blips on the screen and when I walked in, went asystole.

awww.. so sad. Hope family was there with her. Sounds like she is in a better state than all of the problems I'm sure she had (ulcers, immobile...) lots going on there.

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Specializes in ER, ICU,.

I know what you mean Zach, It drives me crazy to go to a code and NO ONE doing anything! It happens all the time! the last code I went to ...We were in the caft when code was called, so when we get to hall they stuck their head out the door and said 'Here they come". We got to room and everyone was standing around! No compressions, No bagging, No meds being pushed! And, it took us a good 5 mins to run up stairs and get to hall. :eek:

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Specializes in IMCU/Telemetry.

I had a pt who was aaox3, eating and talking to family. Looked fine. The Family went to lunch, and after 15 minutes I went in to check up on her. She was taking her last breath or two, so I took her hand and said goodbye to her. The family came back about 20 minutes later to find her dead. All I can say is I'm glad I was with her at the end as I thought the family were going to freak out until I told them she didn't die alone.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Oncology.

I once had a little old lady go to xray.. A few hours later I saw transport bringing her back to her room. I went down to her room and as soon as i walked in the door and saw her i knew she was gone.. You know the whole death look - pale, mouth and eyes wide open... To top it off her little old brother was sitting with her and said to me - she sure is resting good isnt she?? I walked over to her and started to try to find a pulse, a heart beat etc.. I just looked up at the brother and told him she had passed.. It was so sad because he really thought she was asleep.. The thing that gets me is that transport had just brought her back to the room - she had to have been dead when they put her back into bed - i mean transport was walking out of the room as i was walking in.. By the way - she was a DNR..

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

I've found/seen many dead, as I worked in LTC for a long while, and of course you see the fetal demise, etc with OB, but the one that stands out in my mind the most was actually a lady I knew from the community that was in our LTC for comfort care.

She had terminal cancer, was in her 80's. She was about my height (5'3") and at the time of her death her weight was 54lbs. I have never in my life seen anything so horrible looking. Her eyes bulged out, and wouldn't stay closed, her teeth (false) were in her mouth, but stuck so far out b/c of the weight loss it was grotesque. She looked almost like a dried mummy from a horror movie.

I still have nightmares about that sweet LOL. I hope I go before my family has to see me like that. It was so hard on her daughter, and I have often wondered if the daughter regrets seeing her like that.

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